This invention relates to a method for synchronizing plural recording and reproducing devices and, more particularly, to a method for synchronizing these devices with an improved accuracy.
In a case where, in performing multi-recording by employing a multi-track tape recorder, the number of channels in which recording must be made is larger than the number of tracks of a single multi-track tape recorder, multi-recording is achieved by synchronizing plural multi-track tape recorders. In this case, according to a conventional method, synchronization among respective tape recorders is made for performing operations such as mix down in such a manner that position information such as time code or sector address is recorded commonly in respective tape recorders during a recording mode and, during a playback mode, reproduced position is controlled so that reproduced position information in the respective tape recorders coincide with each other.
Since time code has an accuracy of only several hundred microseconds and sector address has an accuracy of only several milliseconds, accuracy in synchronization exceeding these values (e.g., accuracy of a sampling word) cannot be achieved even if reproduced position information of plural tape recorders coincide with each other as shown in FIG. 2. It is therefore difficult to synchronize plural tape recorders with a high accuracy and thereby realize operations such as mix down with a high accuracy.
Moreover, according to the conventional method, in playing back plural tape recorders in synchronization, a synchronizer is separately provided or, in a case where one tape recorder is used as a master device and another tape recorder is used as a slave device, the slave device is controlled for synchronization by a synchronizer or the master device and, accordingly, a synchronizer must be provided or a control section must be provided in the master device. In any case, the conventional method requires a complex construction resulting in a high manufacturing cost.